The new kings of air cooling? be quiet launches their Dark Rock Elite and Dark Rock Pro 5 CPU coolers
be quiet! launches two new flagship-level heatsinks for air-cooling enthusiasts – Is be quiet now the king of air cooling?
Back at Gamescom 2023, be quiet showcase two new CPU coolers at their booth. These new flagship-level air coolers are designed to replace be quiet’s existing Dark Rock Pro 4. With these new designs, be quiet are delivering users more cooling performance than ever before. Presenting the Dark Rock Elite and Dark Rock Pro 5, be quiet’s strongest air coolers to date.
Both of these new heatsink designs from be quiet utilise the company’s new Silent Wings fans. The Dark Rock Elite features two 135mm fans and the Dark Rock Pro 5 features one 135mm fan, and a 120mm fan. These new heatsinks are compatible with all of the latest consumer CPU sockets from AMD and Intel, including AM4, AM5, LGA1200, and LGA1700.
Both of these new heatsinks will be launching later this month. Full pricing information is available at the base of this article.
Dark Rock Elite
The Dark Rock Elite is be quiet’s new air cooling flagship. This cooler has two 135mm fans, and both performance and quiet cooling options. In performance mode, be quiet pushes their cooler’s fan speeds to 2,000 RPM. In quiet mode, be quiet tones things down, setting fan speeds to a super-quiet 1500 RPM mode. These modes can be selected using a built-in speed switch.
The Dark Rock Elite also features integrated ARGB lightings on the heatsink’s top cover. The entire heatsink also features a black covering to give the heatsink an eye-catching appearance. With its nickel-plated base plate, this CPU cooler is also compatible with liquid metal thermal interface materials.
Dark Rock Elite: peak performance, legendary design
Dark Rock Elite offers unprecedented performance and cooling power through cutting edge fan technology and combines it with an iconic design. The 7 high-performance heat pipes are accompanied by two Silent Wings 135mm PWM fans for maximum air pressure and perfect airflow. These turn up to 2,000 rpm in Performance Mode, unleashing the full power of the cooler, or use Quiet Mode to run virtually inaudibly at an efficient 1500 rpm in super-quiet PC builds. Users can easily choose between the two cooling modes with the integrated Speed Switch.
Dark Rock Elite comes with several exclusive high-end features, such as an innovative front fan mounting rail with adjustable height settings, up to a maximum clearance of 69mm over the second RAM slot. The maximum clearance of the heatsink over the first RAM slot measures a comfortable 63.3mm, while optimal VRM compatibility is accomplished with cut-outs on the edges of the heatsink. Its unique and iconic design with ARGB LEDs on the top cover for endless visual effects and its black coating with ceramic particles for ideal heat transfer make Dark Rock Elite a true eyecatcher in any system.
Additionally, Dark Rock Elite comes with a detachable top cover for easy installation, is compatible with liquid metal thermal paste thanks to its nickel-plated base, and is supported by a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Dark Rock Pro 5
With the Dark Rock Pro 5, be quiet offers users an upgraded 7-heatpipe cooling design and new Silent Wings series fans. In this cooler’s quiet mode, be quiet has designed this heatsink to be virtually inaudible under load, with its 135mm fan running at 1300 RPM while its 120mm fan runs at 1500 RPM. In performance mode, these fans can be cranked up to 2000 RPM and 1500 RPM respectively.
Like the Dark Rock Elite, the Dark Rock Pro 5 features an all-black design and a liquid metal compatible nickel plated cold plate. Like the Dark Rock Elite, this cooler is also backed by a 3-year warranty.
Dark Rock Pro 5: seriously cool and refreshingly silent
To improve upon the award-winning cooling performance of Dark Rock Pro 4, be quiet! has improved on its 7 high-performance heat pipes and two Silent Wings PWM fans for Dark Rock Pro 5. This has resulted in an immense cooling capacity and virtually inaudible operation, ideal for heavily overclocked systems and demanding workstations. The 120mm front fan has a funnel-shaped outlet for optimal air distribution and is height-adjustable to accommodate for high RAM modules. The 135mm middle fan is attached to the top cover for top installation. Thanks to a fixed mounting bridge on the cooler’s base and detachable top cover, installation of Dark Rock Pro 5 is smoother than ever. Both fans feature advanced fluid-dynamic bearings, smooth 6-pole motors, and airflow-optimized fan blades.
Dark Rock Pro 5 offers the same integrated Speed Switch as the Elite, which allows users to choose between a Quiet Mode at 1500 rpm (120mm front fan) and 1300 rpm (135mm middle fan), respectively, for normal applications – and a Performance Mode that unleashes the full power of the cooler and brings the front fan’s rpm up to 2000 rpm, while the middle fan runs at 1700 rpm.
The Pro 5 doesn’t just offer outstanding performance: a high-grade top cover with mesh design and a special black coating with ceramic particles to increase heat transfer give this air cooler an elegant look that will feel at home in any system. Dark Rock Pro 5 also sports the aforementioned cut-outs on the edges for maximum VRM compatibility, is compatible with liquid metal thermal paste, and is supported by a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Pricing
be quiet’s Dark Rock Elite and Dark Rock Pro 5 will be available at retailer on October 24th. These coolers will ship with recommended retail prices of $114.90 / €114.90 / £109.99 for the Dark Rock Elite and $99.90 / €99.90 / £99.99 for the Dark Rock Pro 5.
You can join the discussion on be quiet’s Dark Rock Elite and Dark Rock Pro 5 CPU coolers on the OC3D Forums.
